Songbird (27 page)

“Where are you headed?” Breathless, she clambered on, as the door closed behind her.

“Last stop Bedford.” The lights changed and he moved forward.

“Bedford? Where’s that?”

“What!” Making headway, he threw her an impatient glance. “You’re not telling me you’ve got on the wrong coach, are you?”

“No, no!” Maddy was quick to reassure him. “Only my friend has just moved to Bedford. I’m paying a surprise visit, and I’m not sure where exactly it is, or how far?”

He laughed. “You women,” he tutted. “Absolutely hopeless! You shouldn’t be let out on your own — so disorganized it’s a wonder you manage to get across the street without help.” He cast her another ironic glance. “Bedford is in Bedfordshire — didn’t your friend tell you that? It’s a good six-hour trip. So, before we get there, I suggest you look in your bag and make sure you have her proper address.”

“Oh, I have, and once I get there, I’ll have no trouble at all.”

As she struggled along to a seat, she heard him muttering, “No trouble at all, eh? I wouldn’t bet on it!”

There were four other passengers on the coach. “Do you have a ticket?” That was the dumpling woman in front.

Maddy shook her head. “I thought you paid on the coach.”

“Well, you can, and I expect the driver will take your fare when we make a stop. But it’s not regular, and it’s much easier if you get your ticket beforehand.” She bossily suggested Maddy should put her bag in the overhead locker. “There are several pick-ups on the way, and you won’t want folks stumbling over it, will you?”

“No, thank you.” Maddy dutifully slung it overhead onto the shelf.

“If you’d been on time at the coach station, the driver would have put it in the luggage compartment for you,” the woman fussed.

Maddy thanked her again, and a short time later when the dumpling fell asleep, she sorted out the money in her purse. As soon as I’ve found a place to stay, I must change my bank account, she thought. She needed to draw money out, but even more importantly, she had to erase all avenues by which she might be traced.

She thought about Ellen, and the shock she would get on waking, and her guilt was all-consuming. Yet, when she set it against having removed the threat from that cozy little house and everyone in it, the guilt seemed a worthwhile, albeit heavy price to pay.

Slumped in her seat, she buried her face in her hands and quietly sobbed. One man! One dark-minded man hell-bent on destruction had done this to her. And in all her life she had never known such despair.

When the other passengers fell asleep, she was made to evaluate her circumstances. She felt strange — isolated, and swamped by the enormity of what she had done. She did not recognize who she was any more. What was she doing? Where was she going? How could she have left her child back there?

She shook herself mentally. The truth was, she had made herself a decoy. And how could she regret that?

To her mind, this was the only way she could help keep her precious boy out of Drayton’s clutches. It was also the best way she might repay Ellen and Grandad Bob.

“Ellen.” She murmured the name with affection. “I pray you will understand.”

Having fallen asleep with Maddy on her mind, Ellen woke with a start. For a moment she felt disorientated, but then the nagging worries that had kept her awake till gone midnight came back to haunt her.

“It must have been Steve’s man,” she murmured to herself. “It was too much of a coincidence that he should suddenly bump into Maddy like that.”

Sliding out of bed, she made her way barefoot across the chilly lino. I didn’t pay enough attention to what she was saying, Ellen thought. No wonder she was worried out of her mind.

When her foot trod hard on the piece of paper, she quickly snatched it up and unfolded it, her heart turning over as she skimmed through what Maddy had written.

I have no idea where I’m going…
I know you will love him as I do
And I know you will care for him,
and keep him safe…
I will contact you as soon as I can.

I love you like the sister I never had.
Remember that always.

“Oh, my God!” Dropping the note, she ran to Maddy’s room and pushed the door wide open; the crumpled covers thrown aside and that awful sense of emptiness, told their own story. “Oh, dear Lord! Maddy… what have you done!”

She hurried to the cot, where the baby was snuffling, fast asleep, oblivious to the drama that was taking place around him.

Running onto the landing and then down the stairs two at a time, Ellen checked every room. She even ran out into the street, glancing up and down, praying that Maddy was out here. Yet even as she looked, she knew deep down that her friend had gone. Maybe forever. And who could blame her? “Keep her safe, lord,” she mumbled, “keep her safe!”

Maddy had written that note from the heart. She must have agonized for hours before she took such a hard decision. You tried to tell me, didn’t you? Ellen thought. But I fobbed you off, hoping I was right and you were wrong. I should have realized how afraid for us you were. I should have talked it through — made plans. I was a fool to think it was a chance encounter. Oh Maddy, I’m so sorry… so very sorry.

Shivering, she came back into the house and closed the front door. As she made her way slowly up the stairs, her grandfather called out, “Is that you, love?”

Swallowing hard, she tried to make her voice sound natural. “Yes, Grandad.”

“Is everything all right, lass?”

“Everything’s fine. I just went to the bathroom. Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“Time you stopped chattering, or you’ll be fit for nothing in the morning.”

“Good night then, lass.”

“Good night, Grandad.”

Going into her own room, she cautiously switched on the main light and leaned against the wall, where she read and reread Maddy’s every word.

Afterward she walked round the room, the note clutched in her fist, her mind quickening with all manner of possibilities. Should she take little Michael and go after her? But where would she look? And how would she take best care of the baby? There must be a way, she thought. There
must
be a way of finding out where Maddy had gone.

She sat down, then she stood up, and now she was on the prowl again. And with each and every plan she imagined, there were a dozen reasons why they would never work. Maddy wants to keep us safe, she reasoned. That’s why she took this drastic step. She knows if Drayton finds her, he’ll find us, and the boy. Oh, dear God!

Thanks to Maddy’s courage, Ellen’s infatuation for Steve Drayton had come to an abrupt end when she became aware of his true nature. Thank God that evil man didn’t know about little Michael. Oh, but if he ever did! That possibility did not bear thinking about, because he would instinctively know that the worst way to make Maddy suffer would be to hurt her child.

In the end, common sense prevailed, and Ellen had decided on her course of action. “All right, Maddy. I’ll do as you ask,” she promised. “I’ll take care of little Michael, and somehow, I’ll cover your tracks here.”

She crept back into Maddy’s room and gazed down on the tiny boy. “Your mammy said she would stay in touch,” she whispered, “and I know she will. Meantime, you will have me and Grandad Bob to look after you.”

Reaching down, she stroked his silky hair. “When the danger is over, your mammy will come back for you.” She thought of Maddy, of how loyal and loving she was, and how she had never asked to be put in such a frightening situation. “I promise you, Michael, your mammy won’t let us down. She loves you more than life itself, and she’ll be back for you one day.”

She smiled tenderly at him. “So we’ll wait here, you and me,” she breathed. “We’ll do exactly as your mammy would want. We’ll stay safe. And we’ll wait.”

But there was another worry niggling at her now. What on earth could she tell Grandad? He was nobody’s fool, so whatever story she cooked up, it would have to be convincing. She didn’t want him suspecting anything untoward, and getting involved. She gave a nervous glance toward the door. What if he should ever be involved? Dear me, no! That would never do.

So, while the young and the old slumbered on, Ellen laid back on Maddy’s bed where, drawing the covers over herself against the early morning chill, she thought of a plan.

It was eight-thirty when Grandad finally came down. “Good Lord!” Ruffling his red hair, he came into the kitchen and flopped down at the table. “Have you seen the time?” He was incredulous. “Half past eight! I can’t ever recall sleeping till this time of the morning. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because I’d already disturbed you once,” Ellen replied, placing a mug of freshly brewed tea before him and putting some toast under the grill. “And I expect that phone call disturbed you early on as well.”

He looked up, his brow furrowed with puzzlement. “What phone call?”

Ellen reached into the cupboard for the marmalade; she dared not look into his face, or he might see how she was lying. “It woke me an’ all,” she said innocently. “Half past six it was — frightened the life out of me. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.”

“Who in God’s name was that, ringing here at that time of the morning? I hope you gave them an earful.”

“It was for Maddy.”

He took a long slow sip of his tea. “Oh, aye?”

“It was her old aunt from Bournemouth.”

He frowned. “An old aunt, eh? I don’t rightly know why I should think it, but I were under the impression that Maddy didn’t have no relatives?”

“Well, she hasn’t — except for this old aunt in Bournemouth. They were very close when Maddy was young but I don’t think they’ve seen each other in a long time, not since both her parents died.” She felt ashamed at lying to this darling old man. “Maddy always kept an eye on her from a distance, if you know what I mean.”

He nodded. “What, like birthdays and Christmas and that sort o’ thing?”

Ellen was relieved that he seemed to understand. “Yes, that’s it,” she said, giving him a plate with two buttered slices of toast. “Sometimes they talked on the phone, but that’s all. The old aunt respected that Maddy had a life of her own, and Maddy respected her wish for independence.”

“Aye, well, I can understand that.” He spread some marmalade on his toast and bit into it. “Sounds a bit like you and me, eh?” he mumbled. “We’ve allus been here for each other in times of need, but we’ve never lived in each other’s pocket, have we, lass?”

“That’s exactly right, Grandad,” Ellen answered brightly. “I hope you don’t mind, but when Maddy asked if it was all right to give her aunt this number in case she needed to get in touch, I said yes. I’m sorry if I did wrong.”

“Well, o’ course I don’t mind.” He glanced about. “Where’s Maddy now?”

“She’s gone.”

“Oh?” He grew anxious. “Is everything all right, lass?”

“Not really, Grandad, no.”

“Then you’d best tell me all about it.” He put down his mug and sat up, his face wreathed with concern. He had a feeling that Ellen was nervous about something or another, and it wasn’t altogether because she had given out his phone number. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “Out with it!”

Ellen gave her explanation. “It’s the old aunt I was just telling you about,” she said. “Her neighbor heard a noise, ran round and let himself in, to find her unconscious at the foot of the stairs. He sent for an ambulance, and then he looked in her notebook for Maddy’s number. He knew about Maddy, because the aunt often talked about her.” She had to be careful here, “Anyway, he tracked her down.”

“And is she all right? Do they know what happened? Did she take a tumble down the stairs or what?” Though he was sorry for the old dear, his first thoughts were for Maddy.

“Apparently, she can’t remember what happened, but she’s really shaken up. She’s covered in bruises and her arm’s broken at the elbow. And now she’s threatening to leave hospital and go home.” Ellen was amazed at how easily she could lie when necessary; though the bad feeling she had right now was not pleasant. This was the second time she had told an outright lie to someone she loved, and she hoped it would be the last, although one lie always led to another.

“She’s being very silly!” Grandad declared angrily, though to be honest, he would probably feel the very same if he was in her place. “She needs to stay where she is and get proper treatment. Besides, she won’t be able to manage at home, not with a broken arm she won’t. And who knows what other damage she’s done?”

He was admiring of Maddy. “It’s no wonder our Maddy took off at the drop of a hat. She’s a grand lass.” He smiled. “The pair of you make me right proud.” He set about making his toast.

Turning away, Ellen flushed pink with shame. If only he knew what lies I’ve told him, she thought, he wouldn’t be feeling so proud of me then.

“The old aunt’s not married then?” Grandad muttered through his toast and marmite.

“No.”

“Brothers, sisters?”

“Apparently not.”

“So, there are no children and no other folks to care for her?”

“No, Grandad. She lives completely on her own. Maddy is the only one she keeps in touch with.”

“I see. And Maddy’s gone to take care of her for a while, is that it?”

“That’s right, yes.”

“And what about the babby?”

“I told Maddy that I would take care of him — you and me together. If that’s all right with you, Grandad?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he declared soundly. “In times like these we all have to do our bit.”

“Me and Maddy both thought it would not be right for her to take little Michael with her straight away. If she can persuade her aunt to stay in hospital, she’ll come back for him, she said. She’ll stay at her aunt’s house with Michael, and visit the hospital every day if needs be.”

“Aye, lass, I understand all that. But even then it won’t be easy. What if her aunt takes a wrong turn and they send for Maddy in the middle of the night? She’ll have to wake the child and take him with her. On the other hand, if the old dear insists on coming home, Maddy will have her hands full taking care of them both.”